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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. toast — bread
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chip — for betting
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. band — a music group
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a ring
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com